Foreign experts have recommended Vientiane authorities to make land use regulations clearer for easy enforcement and to bolster development in accordance with the city's urban planning.

An expert from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) made the recommendations in a meeting held in Vientiane yesterday to review the implementation of the technical cooperation project for urban development management between JICA and Vientiane authorities.

JICA expert in Urban Development Management Policy Mr Tomohiro Hasegawa observed that both tolerance and requirements are included in the current Vientiane zoning code, so it is difficult for many buildings constructed to comply with the overall requirements.

“The mixed and unclear requirements have resulted in compromises in the control measures identified in Vientiane; therefore the recommendation is to rearrange the items in the zoning code with only requirements in the code,” he said.

Mr Hasegawa noted the zoning codes in progressive countries only have a set of hard requirements, while the mixed and unclear nature of the code in Vientiane had caused hardship for those who implementing the policy, meaning construction of noncompliant buildings were tolerated.

He explained that hard requirements are both for the authorities and people to consider as all buildings must comply with the requirements. Those that do not, for example for their height, must be subject for demolition.

The study and improvement of policies such as the zoning code is actually a matter of land use and building controls and an important part of the technical cooperation project which is running from 2013 to 2016 aiming to modernise Vientiane City.

However, Mr Hasegawa noted, in some cases the non compliant buildings can remain with some improvements.

Mr Hasegawa also recommended that construction permission should be divided into two stages with land development the first one.

In this stage the Department of Public Works and Transport (DPWT) issues land development permission to a developer after checking the infrastructure construction plan, and other terms through land development standards which provide regulations on how to design infrastructure, such as roads, drainage and parks in the development area.

Following the first stage, the developer constructs infrastructure, then they may sell plots to other people.

Second stage is about building construction with DPWT issuing building permission to a building owner after checking details of the building plan through the zoning code and building code.

Vice Mayor of Vientiane Mr Keophilavanh Aphaylath and JICA Chief

Representative Mr Koichi Takei co-chaired the second meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee to push forward the Japanese supported project to modernise urban planning of the Lao capital city.